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A Nova Scotia court has imposed a “creative sentence” for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, requiring the company to make safety presentations in addition to paying a fine.

A journeyman electrician employed by the company was electrocuted when he made a “tragic, fatal miscalculation”, deciding to work on an energized system. The company was found guilty of failing to institute any policies or practices that addressed workplace safety, but instead relying exclusively on the employee being an experienced and safety-conscious electrician. Further, the company did nothing to ensure compliance with the Canadian Electrical Code.

The Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety Act allows for fines and “creative sentencing options” for violations. The court imposed a fine of $35,000.00 on the company, acknowledging that the company was very small and was now insolvent and no longer operating.

In imposing a “creative sentence option”, the court noted that the electrician’s death and the lack of formal safety policies at the company “constitute a sobering message for other small businesses in the construction trades.” The court decided to impose a “community service order” requiring the company to make a series of presentations on the facts of the case as indicated in the trial decision, the applicable regulatory requirements, the workplace safety issues involved, and the required due diligence. The presentations must total 150 hours and be completed in 18 months.

While Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health and Safety Act permits such “creative sentencing options”, other provinces such as Ontario do not. While at the same time recognizing the obvious tragedy of the death, one can see that the reputational damage associated with a conviction in such a case, and 150 hours of presentations that recite the sad facts, is obvious. In Ontario and a number of other provinces, the government prosecutors often issue press releases that identify the company, the violation and the amount of the fine.

Compare jurisdictions: Employment & Labor: North America

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